Simply put, the show put on by The Levon Helm Band last night was nothing short of wonderful. It was held at UB's Center for the Arts, the perfect venue to be able to sit back, relax, take in the music and on top of that, there is not one bad seat in the house. Levon's band is stacked with great talent; introduced as band leader was Larry Campbell, whose abilities on guitar, fiddle, mandolin and vocals made him completely unforgettable. Flanking him were his wife, singer Teresa Williams, and Levon's daughter Amy Helm, who traded singing and instrumental duties as well. On keys and organ was the very impressive Brian Mitchell, who's unique voice was perfect on songs like "The Shape I'm In" and "All on a Mardi Gras Day." Additionally, there was a full horn section; trombone, trumpet, two saxophones, and then some. There's nothing like a full horn section to round out a sound and create the kind of rich, loud warmth that these songs deserve.
They were sprinting right out of the gate, opening with a Band classic, "The Shape I'm In," and continued to play favorites for the duration of the nearly two hour show. It's hard to pick out highlights because each song was so lovingly and artfully performed, and the set was very well constructed, building and calming down at the perfect moments. One of my favorite parts of the show was the cover of The Grateful Dead's "Attics of My Life" sung by the perfectly blended voices of Teresa, Larry, and Amy and accompanied only by Larry's acoustic guitar. It was a very peaceful and beautiful moment, followed by everyone else returning to the stage to turn the volume up for "All on a Mardi Gras Day," during which the horn players came down off the stage and wandered through the audience for a little bit, putting us in the Mardi Gras spirit a little early. Bassist Bryon Isaacs, who rocked a stand-up all night, provided soaring vocals for "Going to Acapulco," a song which originally came from The Basement Tapes, Bob Dylan's recreational collaboration with The Band in Woodstock.
The honor of the night, though, was to see Levon Helm in the place he seems most comfortable - behind a drum kit. Aging has not compromised his abilities as a percussionist in the least bit and he did not miss a beat all night. He didn't sing as much, only taking the lead on "Ophelia" and a few other verses here and there, most notably on the set closing, crowd pleasing "The Weight". He came from behind the kit to charismatically play mandolin on "Deep River Blues", even provided the crowd with a giddy little jig. With so many able musicians on stage, Mr. Helm was by no stretch the center of attention for the whole night, but the fun of seeing Levon is watching the delight he has in watching his band perform. To see Levon is to see a man who is very genuinely appreciative of and receptive to great music. You can tell that he is impressed by every member, and takes great joy in seeing them entertain a pleased crowd. Levon Helm is one of the most pure and honest musicians around today, and it was a thrill to be among the audience last night.
~ek
What a voice Amy Helm has!
Deep Elem Blues, Kuttesch, Deep Elem